10-23-13 Speed Drills, and another PR?


Right now my car is in the shop, so I am limited to the bus for my mode of transportation when my wife isn't around to be amazing and pick me up from school so I can make it up the canyon to run. So I took the bus to the hub where all the buses have transfers and what not, which happens to be by the runners corner (who sells those yummy sports beans I am always out of... maybe that;s why my run sucked Saturday, I didn't have the beans). So I got some sports beans and a light to attach to myself for running in the dark to chase away the boogieman who haunts the dark when I am surrounded in it. It's ridiculous to have a fear of the dark in my thirties... BAH! The light will help. So from there I decided (as I carried my overloaded backpack and gym bag) that I would walk the three miles to get home from where I was, and since I was carrying so much stuff I would be ok in counting it as a work out. It was a fairly hard workout. I walked at a brisker pace than usual, not to mention in was 60 degrees out and I was sporting a hoodie, and had 20+ extra pounds on me (which only 5 months ago was in the form of fat). So I got home covered in sweat, and really tired. So I rested and munched on a cucumber with Silvia who got home only seconds before I did.

Here is where the interesting part comes. It was super hard to get out today like it was on Monday, and I had a great finish to my workout like Monday. So I decided after my three miles I would do speed drills. Which is something I can do on a treadmill, so it was dark out which means no going to the canyon and I went to the gym instead. Keep in mind this is my first real attempt at speed drills. I did it in .25 mile intervals, starting at a 13:19 mile, and easy pace I can go at and catch my breath while still running. I started my first quarter mile at my slower pace to warm up a little, then transitioned to a 9:00 mile pace, at a half a mile I slowed down to my breath catching pace, then the last quarter mile I did a 9:30ish pace. I finished at 10:50. That smashed my previous PR time, but I want to recreate this time outside without the treadmill telling me what to do. I was able to pull off the 9:30ish pace on the first sprint for my second mile, but by the time I got to my second sprint in the second mile my legs were jelly. So I walked a half mile to finish off a half an hour work out.

I enjoyed my speed drills that I did, and am thinking I will do it again. I will do a nice and easy paced 2 to 3 miles then do the sprints. I wish I would have actually did my wonderful ideas for speed training earlier on.

I will be doing my 8 miles in the morning up the canyon. Until tomorrow some time.

-Riley

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